S&W 357 Model 868 "M" Frame

[lightningvolz]

I have a S&W 357 Model 868 "M" Frame, 4" barrel. I've heard of a J, K, L, and N, frame, but I can't find squat about an "M" frame. I'm not sure what the difference is between frames anyway. It's a sweet gun. Any info would be great.

[BC38]

I have a S&W 357 Model 868 "M" Frame, 4" barrel. I've heard of a J, K, L, and N, frame, but I can't find squat about an "M" frame. I'm not sure what the difference is between frames anyway. It's a sweet gun. Any info would be great.

Do you mean a model 686" Never heard of an 868...

The 686 is an L-frame. As far as I know there is no such thing as an M frame. I, J, K, L, N & X are the only Smith & Wesson frame sizes I've ever heard of.

[Flawlessfoose]

Post a picture of it.

[bladebum]

Looks like M frame was the early Ladysmith models but I can't find model 868 yet...

Smith & Wesson has produced firearms over the years in several standard frame sizes. M-frame "refers to the small early Ladysmith frame".[1] Later LadySmith small revolvers were made on the somewhat larger J-frame, the standard S&W small-frame revolver.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_%26 ... _Ladysmith

[BC38]

Looks like M frame was the early Ladysmith models but I can't find model 868 yet...

Smith & Wesson has produced firearms over the years in several standard frame sizes. M-frame "refers to the small early Ladysmith frame".[1] Later LadySmith small revolvers were made on the somewhat larger J-frame, the standard S&W small-frame revolver.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_%26 ... _Ladysmith

I stand corrected. A little research on the S&W site confirms that they did produce an M-frame - as indicated in the Wiki article you linked. It was produced nearly 100 years ago - from 1900 up to around 1921. As the article states, these were the first so-called "Ladysmith" revolvers, though that is not a factory name for them - only a name attached to them by collectors. Those early M-Frames were 22L (not 22LR) - and they were TINY - even smaller than the I-Frames.
Here's what they look like


There have been many other later "Ladysmiths" chambered in various calibers, including 357. But none of them were M-frames. The 357 Ladysmith variants were K-frames - a.k.a. the Model 65.

However, I am still finding no reference to a model 868 anywhere - except where people have mis-typed the 686 model number.
The 686 is in fact a 357 - built on the L-frame. So I still strongly suspect that is the revolver the OP is talking/asking about.

[bladebum]

^^ Agree....

[ron]

The other thing is, back in the days of the 'I' frames and the 'M' frames, all smith and wessons had names instead of model numbers, like ladysmith, M&P, The Outdoorsman, Distinguished Magnum etc. And then for a while they kept the names but also had a model number like the Model 28 Highway Patrolman, but the model 27 did not keep it's previous name of "Distinguished Magnum".

So the gun in question could be anything but if it has a model number it was manufactured after 1957 and that model number is NOT 868 because there is no such thing, and is more likely 686 which would be an 'L' Frame.

Smith made 357's in J, K,N, and L frame sizes, meaning small, Medium, Large and in-between medium and large size frames. The L frame is the in-between size and is close in size to the Colt Python and Trooper frame sizes. The first L frame Smiths even came with a full underlug just like the Python and for a couple of years Smith put that underlug on all of their guns.

My favorite 'L' Frame was the 686 Plus, a 357 L-frame which had a seven-shot cylinder. Now they have a five shot 44 mag on an L-frame which would be really nice if it didn't have the stupit safety lock and if they chambered it in 41 magnum.

[BC38]

The other thing is, back in the days of the 'I' frames and the 'M' frames, all smith and wessons had names instead of model numbers, like ladysmith, M&P, The Outdoorsman, Distinguished Magnum etc. And then for a while they kept the names but also had a model number like the Model 28 Highway Patrolman, but the model 27 did not keep it's previous name of "Distinguished Magnum".

So the gun in question could be anything but if it has a model number it was manufactured after 1957 and that model number is NOT 868 because there is no such thing, and is more likely 686 which would be an 'L' Frame.

Smith made 357's in J, K,N, and L frame sizes, meaning small, Medium, Large and in-between medium and large size frames. The L frame is the in-between size and is close in size to the Colt Python and Trooper frame sizes. The first L frame Smiths even came with a full underlug just like the Python and for a couple of years Smith put that underlug on all of their guns.

My favorite 'L' Frame was the 686 Plus, a 357 L-frame which had a seven-shot cylinder. Now they have a five shot 44 mag on an L-frame which would be really nice if it didn't have the stupit safety lock and if they chambered it in 41 magnum.

All correct with a couple of clarifications.
For the really early ones they didn't have such colorful names, they used names like 3rd Model 3 44 Russian, and 2nd Model 38 S&W, Hand Ejector (or HE) 32/20, and Hand Ejector 44 special, etc., and the name "Ladysmith" wasn't a name S&W assigned to the M-frame. That was just a name collectors came up with. Though S&W did eventually (sort of) use that name officially for a specific line of revolvers in various calibers including 22LR, 38 special, and 357 mag. They call that entire line of revolvers Lady Smith (two words).

[ron]

I'm dyslexic and 686 looks a lot like 868 to me but I'd be curious to know where the original poster got the idea that it was an "M" frame instead of an "L" or even an "N". Maybe it's a model 327 TRR868 357 mag "N" frame. He did say that he really liked the gun, though, and that's what matters most.

[BC38]

I'm dyslexic and 686 looks a lot like 868 to me but I'd be curious to know where the original poster got the idea that it was an "M" frame instead of an "L" or even an "N". Maybe it's a model 327 TRR868 357 mag "N" frame. He did say that he really liked the gun, though, and that's what matters most.

We'll probably never know.

Looks like lightningvolz was a drive-by. He hasn't been back since we told him he got the model number wrong - about 5 hours after he posted his question.
We tried to be gentle with our corrections, but maybe he was just too embarrassed to come back?

Dunno, but the resulting conversation made for an interesting diversion....

[ron]

I'm dyslexic and 686 looks a lot like 868 to me but I'd be curious to know where the original poster got the idea that it was an "M" frame instead of an "L" or even an "N". Maybe it's a model 327 TRR868 357 mag "N" frame. He did say that he really liked the gun, though, and that's what matters most.

We'll probably never know.

Looks like lightningvolz was a drive-by. He hasn't been back since we told him he got the model number wrong - about 5 hours after he posted his question.
We tried to be gentle with our corrections, but maybe he was just too embarrassed to come back?

Dunno, but the resulting conversation made for an interesting diversion....

That happens a lot here. Sometimes I wish we had Paul Harvey to do "The Rest of the story"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Harvey